Coin lock coat hanger



May 11, 1943- E. .1. COMFORT COIN LOCK COAT HANGER Filed June 13, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 NVENTOR ATTo R N EYs v E. J. COMFORT G01N `vLOCK CQAT HANGER May 11, 1943.

Filed June 13, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2v ATTCRNEYS Patented May 11, 1943 UNHTED STATES TENT OFFl 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a coin lock coat hanger and has for an object to provide a device of this character in which the plunger cannot be moved to clamping position with the xed jaw unless a coin is inserted.

A further object is to provide a device of this character in which the key of the lock cannot be removed from the lock drum until the plunger has been manually moved down into cooperative position with respect to the fixed jaw of the devlce.

A further object is to provide a device of this character in which the operating coin is visible until the device is manually unlocked preparatory to retrieving a garment from the coat hanger.

A further object is to provide a device of this character in which the key is a coat check to be held by the operator until used to unlock the coat hanger so that surreptitious removal of a garment from the coat hanger is positively prevented.

A further object is to provide a device of this character which will be formed of a few strong, simple and durable parts, which will be inexpensive to manufacture, and which will not easily get out of order.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, it being understood that various modications may be resorted to Within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit or sacricing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a coin lock coat hanger constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the device shown in Figure 1 with parts broken away.

Figure 3 is a y'bottom plan View of the device shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a rear elevation of the coat hanger 4 section therein, and also showing the coin receiving box in top plan.

Figure 8 is a detail side elevation oi the upper end of the plunger.

Figure 9 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 9 9 of Figure 8.

Referring now to the drawings in which like characters of reference designate similar parts in the various views, the device is shown to comprise a casing having a back plate iii provided with apertured lugs II through which screws or other connectors are engaged to secure the device to a support. A front plate I2 is secured to the back plate by screws I3 passed forwardly through the back plate and engaged in lugs I4 disposed on the rear face of the front plate to prevent surreptitious removal of the front plate without detaching the casing from the support. The front plate overlaps the side walls I6 of the casing, which walls are formed integral with the back plate, as are also the top and bottom walls I'I and I8 of the casing. The back plate l0 is provided with a downwardly extending shank I9 which is equipped at the bottom with a Xed jaw 20. A coat hanger 2| is provided with shoulder portions 22, the terminals of which are engaged in lateral openings 23 in the Xed jaw.

The front plate I2 of the casing is thickened longitudinally at the center thereof to provide a guide 24 having formed therein a vertical slot 25 of T-shape cross section, see Figure 7. A plunger 26 of T-shape cross section, see Figure 9, is mounted to slide vertically in the slot and project above the guide through an opening 2'I lin the top wall l1 of the casing, see Figure l.

-ratchet teeth is a recess 32 to receive a hereinafter described latch for preventing the key being removed from the lock drum until the plunger has been depressed. Formed in the other longitudinal edge is a coin receiving opening 33 which 'opens through the edge, see Figure 8, to receive a leaf spring for preventing the plunger being depressed until a coin has been inserted. A longitudinal slot 34 is formed in the plunger parallel to the edge and traverses the coin opening lto provide clearance for a coin ejecting spring, during the up stroke of the plunger.

A circular coin receiving opening is formed in the front plate l2, and also formed in the front plate below the coin opening is a sight opening 36. A transparent pane 31, see Figure 5, is countersunk at the edges in a recess in the rear face of the front plate and extends across the sight opening 36 to expose the operating coin when the plunger is moved downward to operative position. When the coin is inserted in the coin opening 35 it pushes back the free end of a leaf spring 38 which is secured at the lower end to the longitudinal edge of the guide 24 by a screw 39, see Figure 4.

The upper end of the leaf spring projects into the coin opening, see Figure 8, and if an attempt is made to depress the plunger without inserting the coin, the leaf spring engages with the upper edge of the coin opening and prevents downward movement of the plunger. However, when a coin 40 is inserted, as shown by dotted lines, the tip of the leaf spring will ride along the edge of the coin and be deflected outwardly by the coinl to permit the plunger being moved downwardly.

A conventional lock barrel il is mounted in a housing 42 integral with the rear face of the front plate I2, and is provided with a suitable key 43 which bears an identifying numeral as indicated at 44, to provide a coat check. A latch 45, in the nature of an elongated bar, is centrally secured to the barrel by a screw f5.6. The latch is provided at the lower end with a laterally directed finger 41, shown best in Figure 2. The finger normally engages the longitudinal edge of the plunger and when the plunger is moved downward the finger drops into the aforesaid recess 32 in the edge of the plunger, see Figures 1 and 4, and permits the barrel to be rotated by a controlling spring 58 to bring the key slot 49 of the barrel, see Figure l, into registration with a slot in the housing 5l so that the key 43 may be withdrawn and held by the operator until the garment is to be retrieved from the coat hanger.

The aforesaid spring Z6 is connected at the upper end to the upper end of the latch 45 and at the lower end is connected to the upper end of a pawl 52, see Figure 4, which is pivoted, as shown at 53, on an ear 54 which projects from the guide 24. The free end of the pawl engages the ratchet teeth 3l of the plunger. The spring 48 holds the finger "il of the latch 45 in engagement with the edge of the plunger so that it may drop into the recess 32, see Figure 4, when the plunger is at its downward clamping limit of movement, and simultaneously the spring holds the pawl 52 so that it will ride over the ratchet teeth 3l as the plunger is depressed and lodge in back of one of the teeth when the plunger arrives at its lower limit of movement to prevent the plunger being surreptitiously raised in an attempt to pilfer the garment.

When the operator inserts the key t3 into the key slot 49 and registering slot 55, the barrel may be turned through an angular advance sufficient to dispose the upper end of the latch 45 on the opposite side of the barrel from the locking position of the latch so that the spring 48 will then assume the dotted line position shown in Figure 4. and release the latch from the ratchet teeth, as shown by dotted lines in this gure, so that the plunger may be immediately pulled forwardly by its controlling spring 55.

The controlling spring 55 of the plunger is connected at the lower` end to a pin 56 which projects laterally from the plunger outside of the guide 24, see Figure 7. The upper end of the spring is connected to a pin 57, which projects from the guide, see Figure 4. The spring is placed under tension when the plunger is depressed to immediately return the plunger to raised position when the pawl 52 is released.

After a coin is inserted in the coin opening 35 in the front plate it lodges in the coin opening 33 of the plunger, both of these openings being in registration when the plunger is in its upper limit of movement, and since the coin projects beyond the edge of the plunger, it extends into a longitudinal guide slot 58 formed in the guide, see Figure 1. When the plunger is manually moved downward by pressure upon the knob 28, the coin will be carried downward and exposed to View back of the pane 31 and will there remain while the plunger is locked at its downward limit of movement by the pawl 52.

When the pawl is released, the plunger moves upward under impulse of its controlling spring 55 and carries the coin upward with it until the coin arrives at an opening 59 formed in the guide. As best shown in Figure 6, an ejector leaf spring 60 is secured at the upper end by a screw 6I to the guide and the spring is bent toward the front plate I2 at its lower end to project through the opening 59 and lodge in a depression 62 in the rear face of the front plate above the window pane 31 so as to intercept the coin 10 and eject it through the opening 59 in the guide, during up stroke of the plunger to normal position.

The coin gravitates to the bottom of the casing on top of a door 63 which closes an opening in the bottom of the casing through which the coins may be removed periodically. The door is provided at one end with a lug 64 which overlaps the bottom of the casing and at the other end is provided with a barrel lock 65 having a bolt 66 adapted to overlap the bottom wall of the casing opposite the lug 64. When the lock is unlocked, the bolt 66 is withdrawn from engagement with the bottom wall to permit the door being removed to collect the coins.

Since the operation of the parts has been described as the description of the parts progressed, it is thought the invention will be Iully understood without further explanation.

What is claimed is:

1. A coin lock coat hanger including, a casing, a fixed jaw on the casing, a vertically movable plunger carried by the casing, a jaw on the plunger coacting with the fixed jaw, a lock carried by the casing, a key for the lock forming a garment check, means carried by the lock for preventing removal of the key from the lock until the plunger is moved to operative position, there being a coin receiving opening in the plunger, and means carried by the casing for preventing movement of the plunger to operative position until a coin is inserted in the coin receiving opening.

2. The structure as of claim 1 and in which the first named means comprises a lock barrel having a key slot, a housing for the barrel having a key slot, a latch on the barrel engaging the plunger, and a recess in the plunger in which the latch drops when the plunger is moved to operative position to permit the lock barrel to be turned to bring the key slot into registration with the housing slot to permit removal of the key.

3. In a coin lock hanger, a casing, a fixed garn ment hanger jaw on the casing, a spring rethe plunger, a pawl pivoted on the casing, ratchet teeth on the plunger coacting with the pawl, a spring connected to the other end of the latch and to the pawl, and a key adapted to turn 5 the lock barrel to dispose the spring carrying end of the latch laterally of one side or lateralhr of the other side of the axis of the barrel to release or engage the pawl with the ratchet teeth.

EDWIN J. COMFORT. 

